Automatic closure-support



March 2, 1937. F. M. KIRKPATRICK 0 55 AUTOMAT I C CLOSURE SUPPORT FiledSept. 10, 1935 INVENTOR f? M Mrkpafridr. i 1' ,1 /I I Patented Mar. 2,1937 EJNHTED STATES PATENT @FFHQE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic closuresupports, being a variationor modification of the form of closure latching device disclosed in myapplication No. 14,345, filed April 2, 1935.

The main object of this invention is to obtain the samebeneficialresults obtained by the above mentioned closure support by amechanical device that is different in construction and somewhatdifferent in operation, and thereby more broadly protect the generalprinciples of. automatic closure supports.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in thefollowing detailed description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of these automatic closure supports inits useful position, viz., that of supporting a hinged lid, door orclosure in its open position; this particular lid or door being such asused on storage compartments of automobiles, etc., and only enough ofthe door and door-frame being shown (partly in section) to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the lid or door raisedabove the supported position of Fig. 1, and the pivoted supporting discor plate being slightly turned by the operating upward step of the lid.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, except that the disc has been turnedas described in reference to Fig. 2, and except that the lid has beenlowered to a nearly closed position preparatory to turning the disc backto the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, except that the lid is entirelyclosed, and except that its final lowering step thereof has turned thedisc back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail-assemblage showing a simple form of spring device orcompression spring that may be used in lieu of the one shown in theother views.

Referring to this drawing in detail, wherein,

similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several views,the invention is described in detail as follows:

The door-frame is shown at it, and is formed with a gutter H forcarrying .oif leakage through the joint between the frame Iii and theclosure or lid. A plate i2 is secured to the inner wall of the gutterand depends therefrom. The lid is indicated at E3, and its hinge-membersM are pivoted at l5 to the door frame. The lid or door is also providedwith a downturned flange it that normally extends into the gutter ii. Apivotbearing i? is united with the lid or closure at a point spaced fromthe flange iii, and to this is pivoted a latch or longitudinally slottedlink it Whose slot is seen at l9, and whose latch-element 5 or shoulderis seen at 29.

The plate i2 is formed with a hollow boss or bearing 2i, and also has apivot or stud 22 and a stop or abutment 2t, and though apertures andrivets are indicated for securing it to the gutterwall, welding or othersecuring means may be employed.

A plate or disc 24 has an axle or pivot 25 united therewith andjournaled in the bearing M of the plate l2 so as to be rotatablysupported by the latter. This disc 24 has a pivot-stud 26 extending fromone side, and a stud 21 extending from its opposite side, also a stud orstop lug 28 extending from said opposite side. In the form shown in Fig.6, a bow-spring 29 has 20 loop-ends around the pivot-studs 22 and 26,and, in tending to straighten itself, it exerts a pressure thatyieldingly holds the disc 24 in its alternate positions; and here itshould be noted that the alternate positions of the stud it are on 25opposite sides of a straight line between the axle 25 and the pivotbearing 22, so that the spring turns the disc alternately in oppositedirections during a cycle of opening and closing the door or closure, ina manner presently explained. 30 Where a helical compression spring isused between the studs 22 and 26, as shown at 3|] in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and4, it is housed in a tube 3| having a slotted end 32 and having itsother end pivoted on the pivot-stud 26 while the stud 22 35 extendsthrough the slotted or bifurcated end 32 and is slidable therealong asthe spring 38 is compressed and permitted to expand in passing from oneto the other of the alternate positions. The stud 28 (omitted in Fig. 5for avoiding confu- 40 sion) normally rests against the upper end of thelink or latch 58, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and the stop or lug 23serves to arrest the spring 29 or tubular casing 3! at the otheralternate position of the disc 24, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, 45 and inbroken lines in Fig. 6.

The stud ill extends through the slot I9 of the latch or link it and ismovable from one end to the other of said slot, such movement beingrelative, inasmuch as it is the latch is which 50 has the greatermovement as the device is put through a cycle of operation. A washer orother form of keeper 33, on the stud 2i, keyed or otherwise secured inplace, serves to hold the link or latch and stud 21 in workingengagement with one another. The stop-lug or stud 28 has a moreimportant function than that mentioned in the foregoing, viz., thefunction of a supporting keeper which engages with the shoulder of thelatch I8 and cooperates therewith in supporting the lid or closure inthe open position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows Assuming the door, lid orclosure to be closed, all parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, and theuser raises the closure to and a little past the position shown in Fig.1, the spring device 29 or causes the stud 28 to snap under the shoulder20 so as to cooperate with the latter for supporting the closure in theraised or open position. Next, assuming that it is desired to lower theclosure, it is first raised a step beyond the normal supported position,and in thus raising it, the stud 21 is also raised so as to cause rotarymovement of the disc, move the stud 28 out of engagement with theshoulder 20, and move the stud 26 past the line between the stud 22 andthe axle or pivot 2|, whereupon, the spring device turns the disc to theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and now, when the lid or closure islowered, the stud 28 being out of the path of the shoulder 20, there isno obstruction to the lowering of the closure; but when the upper end ofthe slot strikes the stud 21, the latter is pushed down as the lid movesto the closed position, and the disc is thereby re-set so as to reengagethe shoulder 20 when the lid is again raised.

I have no intention to limit my patent protection to the precise detailsof construction and arrangement here shown and described, for theinvention is susceptible of numerous changes within the scope of theinventive ideas as implied and claimed.

Again referring to the latch I8, it is seen that it includes a wedgelBa, and as it is raised from the closed to the open position, one edgemoves or slides against the stud 21 while the opposite edge slidesagainst the stud 28 so as to move the latter against the pressure of thespring device 29 or 30 until the shoulder 20 passes the stud 28,whereupon the spring device causes the stud 28 to snap under theshoulder 20.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a latching device comprising an attachment for a closure andclosure-frame, for holding the closure open with relation to theclosureframe, the combination of a supporting member provided with meansfor securing it to the closure-frame, a latch provided with means topivotally connect it to the closure and having a longitudinal slot and ashoulder, a plate mounted for rotary movements on said supporting memberand provided with a stud that extends through said slot and isrelatively movable along the latter, said plate having a second studthat is movable into and out of engagement with said shoulder as theplate makes rotary movements in opposite directions, and a spring deviceoperatively connected to said plate and to said supporting member in aproper relation for yieldingly holding the said second stud alternatelyin and out of engagement with said shoulder.

2. The combination defined by claim 1, said latch having an elementwhich comprises means for moving said second stud against the action ofsaid spring-device and thereafter releasing the same stud and permittingit to snap into engagement with said shoulder under the action of saidspring-device.

3. The combination defined by claim 1, said latch having a wedge whichterminates in said shoulder and which slides against said second stud soas to move the latter against pressure of said spring device andthereafter release the same stud to permit it to snap into engagementwith said shoulder.

FLOYD M. KIRKPATRICK.

